Computer Science is the science of using computers to solve problems. Mostly, this involves designing software (computer programs) and addressing fundamental scientific questions about the nature of computation but also involves many aspects of hardware and architecting the large computer systems that form the infrastructure of commercial and government enterprises. Computer scientists work in many different ways: pen-and-paper theoretical work on the foundations and fundamentals, programming work at the computer and collaborative teamwork in doing research and solving problems.

What Computer Science is not ...

Computer Science is not about using software, such as spreadsheets (like Excel), word processors (like Word) or image tools (like Photoshop). Many software packages are complicated to master (such as Photoshop or Excel) and it is true that many jobs depend on expertise in using such tools, but computer science is not about using the tools. It is not about expertise in computer games, it is not about about writing content in websites, and it is not about not about assembling computers or knowing which computers are best buys. Edsger Dijkstra, a famous award-winning computer scientist once said, "Computer Science is no more about computers than Astronomy is about telescopes". Computer Science is about the principles behind building the above software packages, about the algorithms used in computer games, about the technology behind the internet and about the architecture of computing devices.

What is Information Technology, and how is it different from Computer Science?

While computer science has become a somewhat precise term as a field of study (like geology), information technology (IT) is a somewhat more vague term. The commercial world uses the term IT in a variety of contexts, generally, to mean "anything to do with computers". Many business uses of this term refer specifically to the combination of databases, information processing systems and communication systems (email, web browsing) they have been installing in the 80's and 90's. Thus, an IT job could mean a sales job in a computer company, or a business manager overseeing the installation of software, or it could mean a network technician who installs fiber-optic cable, or of course a software engineer. However, computer science generally denotes a professional with computer science training, one who is involved in the creation of software and software systems. Most educational programs are in computer science, which has a long tradition of accredition, standardized testing (such as the GRE subject test in computer science), prestigious research journals and well-defined curricula. In contrast, while some schools offer IT curricula, these are less well-defined, and probably not as rigorous as computer science curricula and degrees.

Future

Computer science is a rapidly growing field. Within the past 20 years, we have almost given up old ways of communications for electronic. If you pay attention to tech news, they are always trying to find ways to innovate previous inventions. 20 years ago, mobile face to face video chat was a future fantasy, now it's a reality. Out of school, as a Computer Science major, you can instantly find work somewhere. Businesses need IT workers to manage programs, software development companies need programmers, the list goes on. Starting pay is 50k - 80k per year. With experience it can be well over six figures. As a computer engineering major, you can work for top tech companies such as Apple, Google, Cisco, Intel, IBM, Windows, Samsung, etc